


The Legacy We Leave

by Mixxy



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Family Issues, He yells at a toddler for being scared of the dark, Hux Backstory, Hux Sr. is a dick, Hux-centric, M/M, The origin of Hux's daddy issues, Why Hux is the way he is, Young Hux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 16:49:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7515790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mixxy/pseuds/Mixxy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>The child was weak in every sense. Undeserving of the Hux name.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>But he might. One day.</i>
</p>
<p>Five times Brendol Hux was forced to acknowledge Armitage as his son, and the one time he wanted to, but didn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Legacy We Leave

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a kinkmeme prompt

_**1.** _

 

Brendol Hux stood in parade rest as he looked through the window. He hadn’t planned on being in the hospital for the birth. He was just in the neighborhood and thought perhaps he’d stop by, see if it was a boy or girl.

It was just like Eloise to die in childbirth just to spite him. At one time he’d found her strength of will endearing, had been charmed by the stubborn glimmer in her eye and had kissed the prideful smirk on her lips. But the downside to that strength was that she’d been adamant- she was going to have this child and she would not be paid any amount of money to vanish, damn you, Brendol. It was just like her to die if only so he’d have to care for the child.

His eyes drifted to the child at the end of the row of cradles. Pale, red-faced, and fussing, with a shock of red hair. Ugly looking little thing. He absently wondered if she’d held it before her pulse stopped and eyes stopped seeing.

“Good morning, sir!” He turned to see an Twi’lek nurse, overly perky for the hour it was. “Are we a new father? How exciting! Which one is yours?”

He cast a lingering glance at the baby. “The one at the end.”

“Oh, he’s beautiful! What’s his name?”

He watched his son cry, soundless through the window. “Armitage.”

 

_**2.** _

 

“I think if we moved the Empire’s focus to building more resources rather than acquiring…”

The Lieutenant’s voice trailed off as his eyes drifted over Brendol’s shoulder. He slowly realized that the whole table was looking over towards the doorway. He turned himself, and his mouth tugged into a frown. “Who is that?” the chancellor asked.

“My son.”

“Daddy?” Armitage was standing there, dressed in his sleeping clothes. It was far too late for him to be up. “Daddy, it’s dark in my room. I’m scared.” He pronounced it _scawed_ , and Brendol hated that more than anything.

“Will you please excuse me for a moment?” He nodded to his guests, then gripped Armitage by the upper arm and pulled him out into the hallway. “Armitage, what are you doing here? You know you’re never supposed to interrupt my meetings. They’re very important.”

The child looked up at him with big doleful blue eyes. “It’s too dark. I’m scared. There’s monsters in the dark parts.”

Brendol’s lip curled up in disgust. “There’s no such thing as monsters. Stop acting like a baby. Go back to your room.”

“But daddy.” His eyes were getting wet, and Brendol felt repulsion rising within him.

“Armitage, _stop that_ ,” he said sharply. “You’re a Hux. Huxes don’t cry.”

“Okay, daddy. I’m sowwy.” Tears slipped down his cheeks.

He jerked Armitage forward by the arm. “No. Crying. And we don’t get scared of the dark. Now go back to your room, and never interrupt my meetings for something so stupid again.”

“I won’t, daddy.”

Armitage headed back towards him room, sniffling softly, and Brendol entered the dining room once more.

 

_**3.** _

 

The prep academy was exactly the same as Brendol remembered it. That was heartening, but did very little to lighten his mood today. He stormed up to the receptionist. “I’m here for Armitage Hux.”

“Are you the father?”

He almost wished he wasn’t. “Yes.”

“He’s just in the next room.”

Armitage was perched in one of the reception chairs, holding a wad of bandages to his nose, blood reddening the pristine white. The beginning of a black eye was blooming on the right side of his face. “Dad,” he said, back straightening as he sat up straighter.

“Armitage.” His son was a sorry sight already, pale and too scrawny and all elbows and lanky limbs. He’d been told by other parents that the growth spurts would catch up when puberty hit, but right now Armitage looked like the sorriest scrap of the bunch. Brendol was ashamed to claim him as his son. “What happened?”

“This other kid in the yard- we were doing exercises, and we started arguing, and-”

“And where is he?”

“Huh?” Armitage looked up at him, far too naïve. Ugh. Stupid child.

“Where is the other boy? The one you fought with? Why isn’t he here with far worse than a bloody nose?”

“I- I guess I didn’t- I-“

“Exactly. You didn’t, because you’re weak and lazy and haven’t been taking your lessons seriously at all.” He turned, gesturing after him. “Come. You’re going to learn to fight. I won’t be embarrassed again.”

“Yes, father.”

 

_**4.** _

 

Brendol Hux didn’t think much of these solstice breaks. He couldn’t wait for when Armitage was in boarding school next year and wouldn’t come home until the term was over. As it was now, he was forced to come get his son every month or so. It was a major inconvenience, and he knew Armitage would be better suited at school, still working on improving himself.

He arrived in the transport vehicle and cast his eyes around. It was true that he was one of the last getting his child, but Armitage was usually waiting for him when he arrived. He didn’t see him this time, and he would be very displeased if-

He caught sight of red hair, the owner of which was twined around some other schoolboy, necking passionately against the side of the building. Brendol grimaced. “ _Armitage_!”

Armitage looked up and visibly paled before picking up his bag and racing to the transport. He settled into the passenger seat, and there was total silence as Hux Sr. pulled away, headed toward the main transport pod station.

“Father, what I was doing with Miles- we were- that was, um, not-”

Brendol jerked the transport to the side so abruptly that Armitage was forced to grip the seat to keep from getting tossed around. He pulled over to the side, stopping the transport completely and turning it off.

Quiet once again descended as Brendol started straight ahead and Armitage snuck glances over. “Armitage,” he finally said, breaking the silence. “You are my son. More importantly, you are a Hux. I don’t particularly care about what you choose to stick your dick in, but you will make damn sure that the union doesn’t result in a pregnancy. This bloodline is diluted enough. Do you understand?”

Armitage looked ahead, mouth pressed into a thin line. “Yes, father.”

Wordlessly, Hux Sr. turned the transport back on and began moving back towards the station.

 

_**5.** _

 

Brendol hadn’t seen his son since term started. Armitage had been busy enough during the term break he’d barely seen him while he was living with him, either. The last year in the academy was notable for anyone, even without being the son of Brendol Hux.

He had grown into a young man, Brendol noted from the stands. He looked more like Eloise than himself. He was still too skinny, still too pale, but his limbs now fit his body and he carried himself like an adult.

The end-of-year competitions were an event for every parent, but Brendol especially watched from the stands. Armitage was never going to win anything for raw strength, but he could be cunning. He could practice sharpshooting, strategy, tactical fighting. He could win this.

When the scores were tallied, when they went up, the name Armitage Hux was gleaming in silver next to the second place slot.

Huxes didn’t come in second. Disappointing.

One of the parents next to him nudged his arm. “Isn’t that yours in second? Congratulations!”

“It is,” he said, and locked eyes with Armitage across the room. Armitage dropped his gaze, and Brendol knew he felt the appropriate shame.

 

_**+1.** _

 

The raid had been something magnificent, in a tactical view. They had been taken over by these young upstarts, their supply chains cut off and their escapes eliminated one by once until there was nothing left but to wait.

The Order, they called themselves. Rejecting the failure that came with the legacy of the Empire, inventing themselves from the ashes of what came before.

Brendol Hux was left by his comrades, metal jutting into his thigh, leaving him unable to run. He could hear the invaders approaching, could feel the tides of the galaxy changing.

The soldiers marched by him without stopping. The only one who did was in an officer’s uniform, and, as Brendol noted when he looked up at him, had his own red hair and Eloise’s blue eyes.

“Armitage,” he said, smiling genuinely.

His son raised an eyebrow and a blaster, pointing it at Brendol. “This ship, and all it contains, is under the command of the First Order. Acquiesce, or we will continue to use force.”

Brendol had to bite back a laugh. His son, finally learned to stand up for himself, finally learned to take what was his, finally learned to pluck out everything weak in himself and replace it with steel. His son had finally earned the Hux name, and for the first time, Brendol was proud of him.

He knew, then, that they could take over the galaxy side-by-side, father and son, that they could use that strength and steel they’d accumulated to bring the world to its knees, that he had raised an Emperor.

That this was truly his son.

“Armitage,” he said again, grinning. “Your father-“

Armitage’s expression didn’t change. “I have no father.”

Then he squeezed the trigger, and Brendol knew nothing at all.

**Author's Note:**

> Two fics in one day, what is up.
> 
> Also I love Hux Sr. being an asshole to young Armitage. "HE DOESN'T DO ANYTHING" "He's a month old, sir."
> 
> I have a blog [here](http://mixxtapej.tumblr.com) if you wanna talk about more daddy issues Hux.


End file.
